Results 781-800 of 1,687 for speaker:Eric Byrne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Affairs Councils: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I welcome the Minister and his staff. I want to speak about the Ukraine because that country is of key importance to the region and to Europe. Should we be surprised by what has happened? The western media built up the association agreement as being on the verge of being signed, but we suddenly discovered there are other forces at play which have prevented the Ukraine from signing it at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Affairs Councils: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: The point I want to make is that this simplification of the Ukrainian issue as being a kind of Tymoshenko-Yanukovych, party of the regions conflict is wrong. What efforts is the European Union making to convey to the Eastern wing, the Russian speaking half, that we do not seek to dominate it and that we recognise a unitary state and that we will have to work overtime to woo it towards the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Affairs Councils: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: To correct the record, I did not mean to speak about the Russian influence on Iran I was speaking about the Russian influence on the decommissioning of chemical weapons in Syria where Lavrov played a progressive leadership role.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: This is an important issue to debate. I believe it is on the agenda because I read a press statement in The Irish Times, which I brought to the attention of the joint committee asking what it was all about. Consequently, the debate has now started and it is very important. I can apologise for being a relatively new Member of the Dáil but to this day, I still do not fully understand...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I have, both as a private individual and as a representative of the joint committee on occasions, dealt directly with the embassies, which are wonderful. The quality of Ireland's embassy staff is second to none. They are liked, they interact wonderfully and do a great job for Ireland. The problem is that there are too few of them. As the Tánaiste is aware, the joint committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: Perhaps consideration should be given-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: Perhaps consideration should be given to the diaspora having a role in the Seanad election process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (4 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I can only respond through the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Forthcoming General Affairs Council: Discussion with Minister of State at Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (10 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I thank the Minister of State. I will get the simple questions out of the way and then ask the more substantive questions. I fully agree with the European Union that the new government in Albania has made huge strides in reforming the judiciary and the institutions of state. I applaud the direction in which Albania is moving. I have previously raised the old chestnut of Bosnia and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Forthcoming General Affairs Council: Discussion with Minister of State at Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (10 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I have a final question for the Minister of State in regard to Moldova. I worry about its vulnerability given the current state of play between the eastern partnership. Can the Minister of State reassure me that now that Armenia and the Ukraine have gone their way he will redouble his efforts to secure Moldova's status, which is very weak?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Review of Foreign Policy: Discussion with Minister of State (10 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I agree this is a timely and interesting discussion that is to be had. If we are doing as well as we are, I am unsure how matters can be improved and I will be fascinated to find out about what routes and restructuring members will be discussing. The Chairman has already referred to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, which are three countries bordering each other with three embassies and three...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (11 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: 56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a Student Universal Support Ireland grant appeal. [53246/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Death of Nelson Mandela: Expressions of Sympathy (11 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I am representing the Labour Party. However, I must confess that I will need to blend my membership of the Labour Party with a personal chronology. As a 20 year old I left Ireland along with two colleagues. We hit Africa in late 1969. Travelling down through Africa to our ultimate destination of South Africa took six and a half months. This allowed us to absorb the magnificent culture of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Report on Impact of Emigration on Youth: Discussion with National Youth Council of Ireland (11 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I thank Ms McAleer and, in particular, the National Youth Council of Ireland for producing a fascinating piece of work. It is fascinating because it is so relevant to Irish society. I do not know whether we can tease it out with the delegation and get an opinion from it. It might have heard me say I left Ireland in 1969 and arrived in Africa in 1970. The three of were tradesmen - an...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Taxation Collection (12 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: 37. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of house owners who applied to have their local property tax deducted from their social welfare payments but cannot avail of this option because their personal income is too low and they may not have been advised of this and now find themselves in arrears, through no fault of their own, with their local property tax; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (17 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: 448. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his position in relation to an earned regularisation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54178/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report 2012: Discussion with European Court of Auditors (17 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I thank Mr. Cardiff for his presentation. I must confess it is the first time I have had to look at the report, so perhaps he can bear with me. I am an urban Deputy, as he can probably tell from my accent. I mention that because there are urban myths about farmers and fraudulent activities. There are classic myths of ear tags going missing or being transferred. The horror of all horrors...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report 2012: Discussion with European Court of Auditors (17 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I am just giving the urban perspective. They may or may not be myths, but the perception exists. It worries me because the most frequent error is over-declaration of land area by beneficiaries. Is it cute hoorism, so to speak? There is an urban myth that so-called cute hoorism occurs on an awful scale in rural Ireland. Is it accidental or is it the classic accidentally on purpose...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report 2012: Discussion with European Court of Auditors (17 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: I walk on State-owned lands.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report 2012: Discussion with European Court of Auditors (17 Dec 2013)

Eric Byrne: The European Court of Auditors is responsible for auditing all member states of the European Union. As Mr. Cardiff stated, we are moving towards the 2014-20 programme and a question arises about the financial commitments for previous years in respect of which funding remains unspent and which will likely lead to additional mistakes. If it is anticipated that there will be mistakes as a...